1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to electrolytic ionized water, and more specifically, relates to a manufacturing method and an apparatus of strongly alkaline ionized water.
2. Background Art
Alkaline water produced by electrolysis of water, i.e., alkaline ionized water, has been known. As an apparatus and a method for producing the alkaline ionized water, a continuous method has been known, in which alkaline water is produced by continuously supplying an electrolysis solution to an electrolytic bath. The conventional technique can be roughly classified into the following two methods.
One of them uses an electrolytic bath having three-cell configuration. That is, the electrolytic bath is separated by two diaphragms to have an electrolysis solution cell at the center having on its both sides an anode cell and a cathode cell, and electrodes were provided in both the anode cell and the cathode cell. A supplying line of tap water or pure water is connected to inlets of the anode cell and the cathode cell, a withdrawing line of acidic water is connected to an outlet of the anode cell, and a withdrawing line of alkaline ionized water is connected to an outlet of the cathode cell. An electrolysis solution bath is provided outside, and its outlet is connected to an inlet of the electrolysis solution cell via a circulating pump, so that the electrolysis solution is circulated and supplied to the electrolysis solution cell.
The other one of them uses an electrolytic bath having two-bath configuration. Specifically, an electrolytic bath is separated by one diaphragm to an anode cell and a cathode cell. A supplying line of an electrolysis solution is connected to inlets of the anode cell and the cathode cell, a withdrawing line of acidic water is connected to an outlet of the anode cell, and a withdrawing line of alkaline ionized water is connected to an outlet of the cathode cell.
In the conventional technique, a large amount of water can be produced by continuously supplying an electrolysis solution to an electrolytic bath to simultaneously obtain alkaline ionized water and acidic water, but there are the following problems.
The first problem is that it is difficult to produce, without any problem, alkaline ionized water having a high pH value. In the case where an electrolytic bath having the two-bath configuration, the electrolysis solution is continuously exhausted from the outlet through the cathode cell of a path form, and therefore the time where an electrolytic voltage is applied to the electrolysis solution is a period where the electrolysis solution passes between the electrodes, which is extremely short.
In the case where an electrolytic bath having the three-cell configuration, an electrolysis solution in the central electrolysis solution cell is electrolyzed to transfer a cation to water in the cathode cell through the diaphragm to produce alkaline ionized water. Since raw material water (tap water or pure water) supplied from an inlet of the cathode cell is continuously exhausted from an outlet of the cathode cell through the cathode cell of a path form, the cation is transferred from the electrolysis solution to the raw material water in an extremely short period of time where the raw material water passes between the electrodes.
In both cases, therefore, the pH value of the alkaline ionized water thus produced becomes low. Accordingly, alkaline ionized water for drinking can be produced, but it is difficult to produce water having a high pH value, which is effective as a detergent and a disinfectant.
When the concentration of the electrolysis solution is increased as a countermeasure against the problem, an electrolysis solution containing a chloride ion in a high concentration is electrolyzed, and a problem arises in that a large amount of gas having strong irritative smell is generated on the side of the anode cell. When the supplying amount of tap water or pure water is reduced as another countermeasure against the problem, a part of the electric energy for electrolysis is converted into heat energy to increase the temperature of the electrolysis solution, and electrolysis for a long period of time cannot be conducted due to the load on the diaphragm. Therefore, even when an electrolytic bath having the three-cell configuration, in which an electrolysis solution of a high concentration can be used, is used, the pH value of alkaline ionized water that can be industrially produced is 12.0 or less.
The second problem is that when an electrolytic bath having the three-cell configuration is used, and pure water is used as raw material water considering the quality of alkaline ionized water, the pure water is also used for production of the by-product acidic water. Since pure water is relatively costly water, from which anions and cations are removed, the production cost of the alkaline ionized water is increased.
The third problem is that the pH value of the thus produced alkaline ionized water widely varies, and it is difficult to stably produce alkaline water having a constant pH value. That is, in the conventional technique, the electrolytic current changes depending on the change of the concentration of the electrolysis solution and the change of the liquid temperature, and unevenness is enhanced, for example, alkaline ionized water having a high pH value or alkaline ionized water having a low pH value is obtained in summer or in winter.
The production method of alkaline ionized water includes a batch method, in addition to the continuous methods. In this method, an electrolysis solution stored in an electrolytic bath is electrolyzed in a period of time to produce alkaline ionized water, and the resulting alkaline ionized water is withdrawn from the electrolytic bath. Thereafter, an electrolysis solution is again stored in the electrolytic bath to be electrolyzed in a period of time.
In this conventional technique, since an electrolytic voltage is applied under the conditions in that the electrolysis solution is stored in the electrolytic bath, alkaline ionized water has a higher pH value than the case of the continuous method by arbitrarily setting the time of applying voltage. However, it involves problems in that since the capacities of the cathode cell and the anode cell of the electrolytic bath are limited, the ratio of production amounts of alkaline ionized water and acidic water cannot be arbitrarily changed; the pH values of alkaline ionized water and acidic water cannot be freely controlled; and in order to produce large amounts of alkaline ionized water and acidic water, the electrolytic bath storing the electrolysis solution and its incidental equipment must be large scaled, resulting in that the whole apparatus becomes large scaled.
The first object of the invention is to provide a novel manufacturing method of electrolytic ionized water, by which alkaline ionized water having strong alkaline nature of pH 12.0 or higher and having a pH value with less fluctuation can be mass-produced.
The second object of the invention is to provide a compact and small apparatus of manufacturing that can stably and efficiently mass-produce alkaline ionized water having strong alkaline nature and having a pH value with less fluctuation.
The third object of the invention is to provide a compact and small apparatus that can automatically mass-produce alkaline ionized water having a desired pH value with high efficiency.
The fourth object of the invention is to provide an apparatus that can efficiently mass-produce alkaline ionized water having strong alkaline nature and having a phvalue with less fluctuation, and can automatically sell it in a quantitative manner.
The manufacturing method of electrolytic ionized water of the invention to attain the first object comprises applying an electrolytic voltage between a cathode electrode and an anode electrode inside an electrolytic bath with continuously supplying an aqueous solution containing an electrolyte to the electrolytic bath, so as to produce alkaline ionized water through electrolysis of the aqueous solution containing an electrolyte, characterized in that alkaline ionized water is produced in a cathode cell of the electrolytic bath, and an operation, where the alkaline ionized water thus obtained is again supplied to the cathode cell and is subjected to application of electrolytic voltage, is repeated to accumulate a cation, to increase a pH value of the alkaline ionized water.
This method is a circulating electrolysis system, in which alkaline ionized water produced in the cathode cell is used as an electrolysis solution, and an operation, where it is again supplied to the cathode cell to be electrolyzed, is repeated. Therefore, strongly alkaline ionized water having a pH value exceeding 12.0, for example, pH 14, can be stably produced by adjusting the application time of the electrolytic voltage even under the conditions of low voltage and a low current.
According to the invention, the pH value of the alkaline ionized water is increased by circulating and using the alkaline ionized water produced in the cathode cell as an electrolysis solution, and therefore alkaline ionized water of high quality with less fluctuation of its pH value can be produced. Similar to the conventional continuous method, the ratio of production amounts of the alkaline ionized water and the acidic water produced can be arbitrarily changed, and the pH values of the alkaline ionized water and the acidic water can be freely set.
In the manufacturing method of electrolytic ionized water of the invention, preferably, an electrolytic bath having a three-cell configuration having a cathode cell, an intermediate cell and an anode cell, which are separated by a pair of diaphragms, is used; raw material water for production of acidic water is supplied to the anode cell; and an electrolysis solution is circulated and supplied to the intermediate cell. Supply of alkaline ionized water produced in the cathode cell to the cathode cell is carried out with a circulation system, in which the alkaline ionized water is withdrawn from the cathode cell and supplied to the cathode cell by a pump, with storing the same in a container equipped outside the electrolytic bath.
The invention involves not only the case of a single electrolytic bath, but also the cases using plural electrolytic baths. That is, plural electrolytic baths each having the three-cell configuration having a cathode cell, an intermediate cell and an anode cell, which are separated by a pair of diaphragms, are used in series; raw material water for production of acidic water is supplied to the anode cell of each of the electrolytic bath and an electrolysis solution is circulated and supplied to the intermediate cell of each of the electrolytic bath. Supply of alkaline ionized water produced in the cathode cell to the cathode cell is carried out with an circulation system, in which the alkaline ionized water withdrawn from the cathode cell of the uppermost electrolytic bath is successively supplied to the cathode cell of the next lower electrolytic bath, and the alkaline ionized water withdrawn from the cathode cell of the lowermost electrolytic bath is supplied to the cathode cell of the uppermost electrolytic bath by a pump, with storing the same in a container equipped outside the electrolytic baths.
According to this embodiment, alkaline ionized water having a high pH value can be produced in a shorter period of time.
The manufacturing method of electrolytic ionized water of the invention involves the case using an electrolytic bath having a two-cell configuration. That is, an electrolytic bath having the two-cell configuration having a cathode cell and an anode cell, which are separated by a diaphragm, is used; an electrolysis solution is supplied to the cathode cell and the anode cell; and supply of the alkaline ionized water produced in the cathode cell to the cathode cell is carried out by a circulating system, in which the alkaline ionized water is withdrawn from the cathode cell and supplied to the cathode cell by a pump, with storing the same in a container equipped outside the electrolytic bath.
This method involves the case where plural electrolytic baths are used. That is, plural electrolytic baths each having the two-cell configuration having a cathode cell and an anode cell, which are separated by a diaphragm, are used in series, and an electrolysis solution is supplied to the anode cell of each of the electrolytic bath. An electrolysis solution is used as raw material water for producing alkaline ionized water, and supply of alkaline ionized water produced in the cathode cell to the cathode cell is carried out with an circulation system, in which the alkaline ionized water withdrawn from the cathode cell of the uppermost electrolytic bath is supplied to the cathode cell of the next lower electrolytic bath, and the alkaline ionized water withdrawn from the cathode cell of the lowermost electrolytic bath is supplied to the cathode cell of the uppermost electrolytic bath by a pump, with storing the same in a container equipped outside the electrolytic baths.
The manufacturing apparatus of electrolytic ionized water of the invention for attaining the second object is characterized by comprising an circulation container of alkaline ionized water, in addition to an electrolytic bath and an electrolysis solution bath in a box, and comprising a circulating pump for alkaline ionized water, in addition to a pump circulating the electrolysis solution. The electrolytic bath comprises a cathode cell, an intermediate cell and an anode cell, which are separated by a pair of diaphragms; an anode electrode is equipped in the anode cell; and a cathode electrode is equipped in the cathode cell. The electrolysis solution bath is connected to the intermediate cell of the electrolytic bath via an electrolysis solution circulating line containing the electrolysis solution circulating pump. The circulation container of alkaline ionized water and the cathode cell of the electrolytic bath are connected to each other via a circulating line containing the circulating pump. The circulation container is equipped with a means for supplying raw material water of alkaline ionized water having a makeup valve, and the circulation container of alkaline ionized water is equipped with a withdrawing line containing water collecting device for alkaline ionized water having a desired pH value.
According to this constitution, the apparatus becomes compact, in which alkaline ionized water produced in the cathode cell is circulated and used as an electrolysis solution to attain a high pH value.
The manufacturing apparatus of electrolytic ionized water involves not only the case of a single electrolytic bath, but also the cases using plural electrolytic baths. In this case, the intermediate cells of the plural electrolytic baths are connected to each other via a line, and the intermediate cell of the lowermost electrolytic bath and the intermediate cell of the uppermost electrolytic bath are connected to each other via an electrolysis solution circulating line containing an electrolysis solution circulating pump. A raw material water supplying line is connected to the anode cell of each of the electrolytic bath. The cathode cell of each of the electrolytic bath are connected to each other via a line, and the cathode cell of the lowermost electrolytic bath and the cathode cell of the uppermost electrolytic bath are connected to each other via a circulating line containing a circulating pump.
In addition to the above constitution, the invention further comprises, in order to attain the third object, a controlling means. The controlling means comprises, in addition to a direct-current power source for the anode electrode and the cathode electrode, at least a controller controlling the electrolysis solution circulating pump, the circulating pump of the alkaline ionized water, and the water collecting device for alkaline ionized water having a desired pH value.
More preferably, a pH meter for setting a pH value of alkaline ionized water to be produced is used, and the circulation container of alkaline ionized water is equipped with a pH measuring device. The pH meter and the pH measuring device are connected to the controller. Accordingly, at the time when the pH value of the alkaline ionized water in the circulation container reaches the value set by the pH meter, the electrolysis is terminated and the operation of the circulating pump is terminated; in the subsequent step, the water collecting device is operated; and in the further subsequent step, the makeup valve is operated to automatically supply raw material water in an amount corresponding to the loss in weight of the withdrawn alkaline ionized water.
According to this constitution, the quantitative nature of the alkaline ionized water, which is circulated and supplied as an electrolysis solution of the cathode cell and is repeatedly subjected to application of electrolytic voltage, is ensured, so as to automatically produce alkaline water having a high pH value with less fluctuation in an industrially stable manner.
In order to attain the fourth object, the invention further comprises, outside the box, a container connected to the withdrawing line of alkaline ionized water, and a withdrawing valve for withdrawing alkaline ionized water contained in the container, the valve being opened by insertion of a coin.
According to this constitution, alkaline water exceeding pH 12.0 with less fluctuation of the pH value can be efficiently mass-produced with a small apparatus, and can be automatically sold in a quantitative manner.
While other characteristics and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, it is apparent that the invention is not construed as being limited to the constitutions shown in the examples unless it has the basic characteristics of the invention, and a person skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing the scope of the invention.